Remember to be kind and gentle with yourself. 💗

Some examples of questions we can ask ourselves:

• What is my overall vision for my life? What do I want to be known for?

• What are my values, strengths, and weaknesses?

• What drains me? What fills me up? What brings me joy? Dread?

• When do I have the most energy? Is it cyclical or consistent?

• Am I a morning person or a night owl?

• How do I learn?

• How does my nervous system respond to crowds, noise, light?

• What foods feel good in my body?

• How do I like to move?

• How do I show up in relationships — am I fair, kind, prone to blame…?

• Do I like my work? What parts energize or deplete me?

• Do I end most days feeling satisfied, or stuck on a hamster wheel?

Understanding ourselves helps us manage all the areas of our lives better.

We are the only ones who can truly know ourselves. Loved ones, community and therapy all matter — but no one is more equipped to be our own advocate than us.

Practical ways to deepen self-understanding include journaling, self-reflection, making art, astrology, Human Design, the Kolbe Index, Myers-Briggs, etc…

Thank you so much for listening ! Sending you so much love.💗🌻

If you found this useful or know someone who would enjoy it, please share!

I just wanted to say hello because I’m thinking of you all.

I’ve been a bit quiet here due to a family emergency. We’re all adjusting to our new reality but everything seems stable at the moment and hopefully will continue to be so. Just deeply grateful that my loved one is ok!

Caretaking will consume a lot of my time for a while. But I’m hoping I’ll be able to squeeze in some art and time here on Substack…. Today was the first day I was able to make a little art in over a week. Here it is:

It’s supposed to be a silvery metallic marker but the photo doesn’t capture it - oh well! Will fill it in as I get time.

Hope you all take good care, hold your loved ones close and enjoy the ordinary days.

Lots of love!!!💗

Hi Friends!

I know it’s been a while. Besides my regular life, I’ve been keeping busy with a few classes on surface pattern design and setting up an art business…. So I’ll be swimming in homework ‘til about June. Yay! But I was able to record a podcast for you today. Would love to hear your thoughts! And I’m also sharing the beauties coming up in the garden. Hope you enjoy!

Podcast Summary:

• Spring feels more like New Year’s to me than January 1st. I’m wondering how you feel or if you’ve ever thought about it.

• How do we find meaning, joy, and peace in daily life while living in a chaotic world?

• Thoughts on what self-care actually means.

• Self understanding - who you are, what’s most important to you, how you function, etc… is essential for creating meaningful change.

• Set intentions, create reminders, and take one step at a time.

• Life is short. We all deserve to enjoy our lives and make the most of it!

  ---

  Here are more blooms from the garden today:

If you enjoyed this, please like, share and pass it on. Thank you!🌻

We say we want more peace in the world-

less anger, less hatred, less violence…

We get our news

and shake our heads

and yell in fury.

And how are we in our own lives?

Are we calm?

Are we kind?

Are we understanding?

Or do we fill our days

with impatience, resentment,

judgement, blame,

comparison…?

Are we nice to our own families,

friends, neighbors, strangers?

Are we friendly?

Do we smile?

Do we wait and hold the door?

Are we welcoming?

Are we generous?

Are we thankful?

The “world” is made up of us -

The we. The I.

How can the “world”

be more kind and loving

if we’re not kind and loving?

How can the world be more peaceful

if our own hearts don’t have peace?

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A personal update, thoughts about the world we’re living in at the moment, and a call to my fellow quiet ones - let’s encourage and inspire each other.

This has not been edited so please forgive the pauses, “um”s and my meandering through my thoughts. Figured it was better just to record and post than wait until things are perfect!

Thank you as always for being generous with your time.🌻💗

As 2025 draws to a close, I want to thank you. Thank you for taking the time to view my art and photos. Thank you for reading and listening to the words I write. Thank you for subscribing and following. While I still struggle at times with fear and anxiety around sharing, I have gotten so much more comfortable because of you! I am truly grateful!

This has been a difficult year for a lot of us. Hopefully we can put it to rest with acceptance and move forward - stronger, braver and wiser from our experiences. May you and the people you hold dear, have a peaceful and blessed 2026.

This is my wish for all of us:

May we look for and find

the beauty and wonder in the world around us.

May we make time for and create

moments of joy every single day.

May we experience

kindness and generosity,

and may we give back the same.

No matter how uncertain life is,

may we have confidence in ourselves

and know that we have what it takes

to handle anything that comes our way.

May we treat ourselves with love and respect,

and remember that we are just as important

as everyone else.

May we ask for and receive

help and support when we need it most.

May we approach 2026

with self-understanding and intention,

living one single day at a time.

May we go to sleep each night

feeling good

or at least satisfied,

knowing we did our best.

And may we remember that each moment

is a new beginning,

and we can always start again.

May we also remember that life is too short

to take for granted.

May we live with an open heart -

with more love, reverence and gratitude.

And may 2026 be the year

we truly, fully LIVE.

I want to tell you -

that you are loved

that you matter

that what you want is important.

You are worthy of living the dreams of your heart.

You can change

you can take responsibility

you can create the life you want to live.

Through your thoughts

through your actions -

step by tiny step

moment by moment.

It takes time

it can take years.

It takes failing

and doing

and failing.

Again

and again.

It is a practice.

But you can do it

you are more than capable.

You may not see results

when you want to.

It can be frustrating!!

And then one day it’ll happen -

the thing you never thought

you could do!🌟

Remember to pause

and congratulate yourself.

Then continue

and keep practicing…

Flow with the currents

and all the changes that come.

They will never stop.

But you can keep practicing

and be the Captain

steering your SELF

through the ocean of life.

Hello Friends,

It’s good to post something after what feels like a long break! Thanks for reading and listening. Here are a few things I mentioned in the podcast:

I’m pretty sure I heard of the above book thanks to and (see below) - so a big thank you to them. But I could be wrong. In any event, it was an inspiring chat to listen to. And I’ve fallen in love with Lynda Barry!

New York Cartoons

Comedy Over Tragedy: Austin Kleon's Masterclass On Creative Survival

Thank you The Bob, Brendan Leonard, Tammy Evans, Bill Cusano, Mariana Marques, and the 500 others who tuned into my live video with Austin Kleon yesterday! New York Cartoons is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber…

Listen now

a year ago · 82 likes · 2 comments · Jason Chatfield and Austin Kleon

Take good care of yourself.🌻

Whether or not we have children, we all came from mothers. And regardless of the nature of the relationship, I think we can all probably agree that it is complicated. Happy Mother’s Day wherever in the world you may be.

It’s Mother’s Day.

I’m so grateful for my life, my son, my P.

My friends who nurtured and supported me.

I’ve made it this far. Thankful.

And yet.

There’s a longing.

For what?

I don’t know.

I will pause.

Stop striving.

Stop planning.

And wait. And listen.

For the next step.

I went and pulled out your photos.

So young and vulnerable -

a baby with a baby.

So solemn.

I wish you had a happier life.

I wish I could have understood you.

I wish I was more accepting

and curious and unafraid.

I wish I saw you as you were,

not as the Mother I never had.

What wonders and magic did you

have within you

that I didn’t notice or see?

What would you have told me

if I had been more patient

or asked some fun questions?

Who were you?

I wish I could have known you.

What would it have been like

if I could have seen you

without the filter of my pain?

What would you have been like

if you knew that someone

accepted and loved you unconditionally?

Or had given you kindness and support

as a young woman?

Thank you for bringing me into the world.

For giving me life.

For everything you’ve taught me.

I understand now that you are a part of me.

You are in me.

I hope you are at peace.

Perhaps even happy.

Or maybe you’ll be able to feel it through me.

I love you.

Why is it so hard for you to understand

that I am more than just “your” someone?

I am a person, a soul, a human,

in my own right!!!!!

I have feelings.

I have dreams.

I have pain.

I get tired.

I have bad days.

I need breaks.

I need help too.

I want to have fun.

I need kindness.

I need rest.

I need quiet.

I need solitude.

I need freedom.

I also want to be loved.

And cherished.

And appreciated.

And I have every right

To take up as much space as you!

It would be really nice

if you actually noticed when I struggle

and asked if I was ok,

or offered a word of comfort.

It would feel so nourishing

to be given to.

To be looked at with compassion.

To be understood.

And seen -

as my own SELF!

If you’ve listened to me before, you probably know that I tend to go off on different tangents and I definitely did I think! Hopefully there’s some nugget in there that’s useful. Topics I’ve touched on here: aging, understanding ourselves, creating an intentional life…

And here are some moments of beauty I’ve captured with my camera:

And lastly, I would love to hear from you! Tell me in the comments below if there’s anything that resonated or that you’d like me to talk about more. And it doesn’t have to be about this specifically, it could be about any of my posts. I value you and your time and want to make sure that the things I share are helpful in some way. Thank you!🌻

Whatever it is, I’ve decided to stop fighting it and just go with the flow. So instead of my usual post, I’m going to share what’s lighting me up at the moment (thanks for the idea ) - the beauty and glory of Spring. To me it’s the most magical, delightful, wondrous time of the year!!! The flowers start blooming, the trees fill with buds ready to burst open, the birds come back and this year we have two wild rabbits in our yard - so exciting! I will share photos of these soon.

But for now, here are some photos I took today from a visit to the Queens County Farm Museum, in search of seeds I can directly sow in the garden. It was so much fun! Hope you enjoy them and feel the wonder of Spring!

Here are some adorable beings I got to spend a little time with.

The fragrance around this Magnolia tree was amazing!

And lastly, here are some of the seeds I’ll be planting after I post this. Hopefully it’s not too early and they’ll do well!

Thank you so much for reading/listening. As always, please remember to be kind and gentle with yourself. And look for the tiny little wonders wherever you live.💕

This is something I’ve been doing a lot lately - drawing with my eyes closed. I learned this exercise from intuitive painter, Flora Bowley, during one of her classes a number of years ago. We used it as a starting point to get our creativity flowing before beginning to paint. And as with a lot of things, I forgot about it until recently.

Like a lot of people, I tend to be in my head…. Overthinking. Anxious. Worried. Not present. It’s my default mode, especially when I’m stressed. One of the few things that get me out of my head and into my body is making art. But of course things get a bit more complicated when creativity becomes your job. But drawing with my eyes closed and then just coloring has changed all that.

What amazes me is how soothing and relaxing it feels! I’m guessing it’s because I’m not thinking about making it look like anything. I’m just reaching for the colors. Just filling the spaces, moment by moment. I can color, walk away, pick it up again in a few days… It’s just play. No pressure. No expectation. And there’s a surprise gift at the end because there was no planned outcome!

The nice thing is, it can be done almost anywhere. You can do it by yourself or when you’re talking to people. You can do it while you’re waiting, while you’re on a call, listening to music… You can start and finish in a few hours or do it over the course of a few months, working on it a little at a time. I’ve done it all!

And you don’t need any special supplies - something to draw on and anything you want to color with. So far I’ve used crayons, markers, watercolor paints/pencils (if you’ll be using watercolor, use a waterproof pen so it doesn’t bleed) and acrylic markers. I’ve also made it digitally in Procreate. I’d like to try painting with acrylics, just haven’t gotten to it. I’m thinking as I’m writing that it would be fun to try a variety of mediums all at once - the textures could be interesting! Have to remember for next time.

It’s fun to experiment and change it up. I’ve used lots of colors and I’ve also restricted myself to only specific shades. I’ve even done just black and white, (inspired by a prompt from ). Another thing I do sometimes after I draw is look at it from different angles to see if any images pop out at me. If I see any, I like to highlight them. On the latest one, which I just finished yesterday, I tried something new. I started off with a focal point (the flower in the center), covered it with tape, and then proceeded with my eyes closed. Once I was done, I took off the tape and colored. I think I kind of like it.

So what do you think? Would you like to give it a go? Get your supplies together. Then grab a pen, close your eyes and let your hand move across the paper. Just flow, make shapes, whatever you feel like. Keep moving all over the page until you’re ready to stop. Open your eyes and color away!

I hope you’ll give it a try. And if you do, let me know how it felt in the comments!

The world is crazy and chaotic

and yet I am grateful.

I’m grateful for all the people

who do so much every single day

to make the world go round.

I’m grateful for Spring,

for the sunlight, the longer days,

and the bursts of spectacular color

against the brown earth.

I’m grateful for the vibrant Crocuses

with the eager honeybees hovering over them,

jostling for the best spot.

I’m grateful for the sweet, adorable bunny

who’s decided to make a home in our yard.

I’m grateful for the quiet, gentle Snowdrops

and the ever cheerful Daffodils.

I’m grateful for the birds

and their busy chattering.

I’m grateful for the simple,

normal, everyday moments

with my Husband and Son.

I’m grateful for the conversations with friends.

I’m grateful for the precious babies -

born a few days ago - twins!

I’m grateful for the Artists who created

the music I’m listening to,

the art on my walls,

the words I’m reading

and the shows I’m watching…

I’m grateful that I get to write this poem and

I am grateful for the person who will read it.

I’m grateful that I made it through another day,

that I am breathing.

I’m grateful that right now -

all is well.

And I’m grateful that I’m able to notice that.

What about you -

what are you grateful for

at this very moment?

P.S. Remember: a kind and peaceful world starts with kindness to ourselves. Wishing you an abundance of beauty and joy.

This is my first video. I’m holding back fear and anxiety just long enough to send this. Once I hit publish I will probably be consumed by it. Breathing…. But I wanted to try speaking to you directly. ‘Cause you mean a lot to me.

Please forgive my rambling and staring at the ceiling and everything else…. Video is quite humbling and embarrassing (at least for me).

Thank you for watching! And go do something that you’d really like to try but are afraid of. Trust me, if a scaredy-cat like me can do it, you definitely can!!!

I will be honest. I had no idea what to write about today. Nothing I’ve written in the past called to me either. I wondered if I should skip today’s post and perhaps wait ‘til tomorrow. But eventually I remembered that I could show up to the page just as I am. Feeling whatever I’m feeling. And put them into words. So here we go.

I am tired. Very, very tired. Too many things to juggle. Too much going on in the world. I’m sure you can relate. The funny thing is, I know exactly what I need to do to feel better:

REST. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally.

Do nurturing things that calm my mind and body.

Some days I can, and I do. But a lot of times I can’t because I don’t feel like doing those things. And then I’m a bit lost. Do you ever feel that way?

I’m not sure why that is. I’m tempted to escape reality by reading a good book or binge watching something. But then how will I ever get anything done? This is a dilemma that I’m revisiting over and over again. When I was younger, I’d force myself to go go go! My body won’t allow me to do that anymore. So now I’m trying to figure out how to manage the low energy days. How can I respect my body’s needs and do less, yet also get a few tiny things done? Haven’t found a solution. Yet.

What about you? How do you handle overwhelm and tiredness? Have you figured out a way that works for you? Let me know in the comments - I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

Tomorrow’s the one year anniversary of my very first Substack post. I’m attaching it below. Give it a listen if you’re curious (it’s more of a podcast - there’s more than just what’s written). I don’t really remember exactly what I said or talked about. I’m sure it will make me cringe! But what I do remember is that the impulse to put it out there came from a place of genuine love. And so I’m sending more love - have a beautiful Valentine’s Day tomorrow.

I also just want to take a moment to say how deeply grateful I am for you. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read and listen. It means a lot to me. Remember to take care and be gentle with yourself.

Come on in my Dearest.

I have made a space for you -

in my home,

in my daily life.

You are safe and protected here.

You are surrounded by comfort, and softness,

you lack nothing here.

You have so many treats to play with.

You will never run out of things to do, try, explore…

I will always be here to encourage and support you.

Even when you’re scared or sad or tired.

I will be here to help in whatever ways you need.

You will be loved here.

You will be accepted here.

There is no wrong. No ugly art.

No bad writing. No failure.

There’s only you,

your feelings (all are welcome),

joy, play … everything!

All you have to do is show up every day.

EVERY DAY my love.

Because you are important enough to make time for.

No rules. No shoulds.

No creating if you don’t want to.

Just be here. Rest.

Gather inspiration from other artists.

Open up your senses -

look at, taste, listen to - exquisite works of creation.

Drench yourself in beauty.

Nourish your soul.

And when you’re ready,

make the magic that only you can.